This is a great question we get from a lot of prospective facelift patients. Truth be told, the longevity of facelift results varies from person to person due to a variety of different factors, three of which include skin health/quality, the particular technique used by the surgeon, and efforts made to take care of one’s skin following surgery.
Generally speaking, individuals who have relatively healthy skin that has not lost much elasticity tend to experience longer-lasting results due to the resiliency of their tissue. In regard to technique, facelift methods that exclusively tighten skin without addressing muscle laxity usually do not produce results that last as long as techniques designed to lift and tighten both the skin and underlying facial musculature. Lastly, maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes consumption of a balanced diet, avoidance of sun overexposure (and tanning beds), restraint from smoking, and utilization of skin care products that work to hydrate and nourish the skin can help to extend the results of treatment.
Taking all these factors into consideration, facelift surgery results typically last an average of approximately seven to ten years before a patient may begin to consider something non-surgical like cosmetic injectables to help maintain an ideal outcome. That said, regardless of when the effects of the procedure begin to diminish, individuals will look younger at that point in time than they would if they had never received treatment at all.
Ultimately, seven to ten years is simply an average—some patients seek maintenance treatments sooner, others go many years longer without desiring any other sort of cosmetic enhancement. For a more personalized estimate as to how long facelift surgery results will last, one of our board-certified plastic surgeons will be happy to meet with you during a consultation to discuss what you can expect based on your specific needs and goals.